Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-05-26
CULTURE FOR ALI
Mr. Cables idea of the Formation OF
Home Culture Clubs.

Home Culture Clubs.
Since taking up his abode in North
ampton, writes a correspondent from
that place, M. Cable has not Ionly
busted himself with literary work but
has been looking about him to SD in
what way he could make the citl of
his adoption better from his hating
come into it. The idea of "home cult
ure clubs suggested itself to i'm,
and after carefully considering the
subject and maturing plan of OPERA
ton, the first Home Culture Club vas
started last October. The growth of
the movement was at first Intentional
ly slow, and up to January of this year
only five clubs, with membership Eof
about thirty, had been formed. Later
on another club was started.
Last February a general meeting Of
all the clubs was held in Philharmonic
Hall, to which many outsiders were in
vited, and all that time Mr.. Cable ex-
planned to his hearers the general OBJ
ject of the clubs. From this time in
terest in the movement has deepened
to such an extent that letters have
poured in on Mr.. Gable from all parts
of the country asking for explanations
of the object of the clubs, and asking
him to come and talk to the people
and help them start the clu b for them
selves. Up to this time MIR. Cable has
replied that the movement was yet SO
larely experimental that it would be
unwise for him to explain it to the
country at large.
The great object of the culture club
is the mutual improvement of its men,
bers while meeting in their different
homes, thus securing what might be
called distinctively the ''fireside infu-
ence," as distinguished from the
efforts after improvement in large as
ISOLATED bodies on one hand or by in
dividual isolation on the other. Socia-
bility is merely an incidental feature,
and the members of the club are not
gathered together for sociability, but
for the interchange of mutual benefit.
At the head of each club is the leader.
who should be somewhat better
equipped mentally than the other
members, that he may be in truth the
leader and serve as lifting influence
for those whose advantages have been
less than his. The meetings of each
club are held not oftener than once a
week. These clubs are in no sense
schools, but are intended to stir up
and maintain culture in an easy way,
as the clubs may determine.
Each club selects its own subject, to
which it gives its undivided attention.
Language, history and politics are
some of the subjects now being pur-
sued by different clubs. One of the
most fourishing clubs is reading Car
negie's triumphant Democracy"
The weekly meetings of the different
clubs are held in rotation at the houses
of the different members, and as three
fourths of the present members repre-
sent families, the benefits derived from
the club are extended to the different
families in greater or less degree.
When the members meet they are ex-
pected to work upon the subject Sc
lected by the club. and make a report
of their meeting and the work done by
them.
These reports are handed to the gen.
eral secretary, who condenses them
and sends copy of this condensed re-
port to each club, so that all the men,
bers know what progress they are
making from week to week as Il whole.
Experience shows that the member
ship of each club should not generally
exceed six, as this number can be ac-
commodated at the different homes,
where larger number could not, and
also the meetings at the homes of the
various members would come more
frequently to each one.
Members from other clubs frequently
attend the meetings and serve as a
bond to unite the clubs in one body.
Once in four or five weeks all the
clubs meet in joint assembly, when
they listen to music, songs. readings
and speeches. These meetings serve
as u stimulus to the members by rea-
son of the large numbers present.
Up to last April, six clubs have been
in active operation in this city, doing
excellent work and reading large
amount of valuable literature. 1t is
noticeable that the clubs have gone
into history and kindred studies, and
the lighter class of fiction has been al
most wholly omitted. The other night
number of gentlemen, including
ministers, professors, lawyers, mer-
chants and others, met Mr.. Cable at
the Mansion House, when he outlined
the subject as given above and started
six new clubs smong them, and new
ones among the ladies will follow
Boston Globe.